August 16, 2018
The FINANCIAL cost of Cancer provokes sticker shock for most
As if having cancer isn't bad enough you start to get the bills. Every time you go to your mailbox, you get a knot in your stomach. How are you supposed to work on beating cancer when you take not only physical, mental and emotional stress but a financial hit.
The FINANCIAL cost of Cancer provokes sticker shock for most
As if having cancer isn't bad enough you start to get the bills. Every time you go to your mailbox, you get a knot in your stomach. How are you supposed to work on beating cancer when you take not only physical, mental and emotional stress but a financial hit.
Now keep in mind, this is the amount that has been charged to the insurance company, next to that is the amount the insurance company allowed and then to the right of that is our responsibility. While my husband has been battling cancer, I have been right by his side. I wouldn't be anywhere else but that has costs associated with it as well.
Loss of income
Being my husbands caregiver has been a full time job. I wouldn't have it any other way but loss of income is a reality. Because I am with him for all doctors appointments and medical procedures means that I have to spend less time running my business which means less income. Then there are other costs nobody thinks about until they start adding up. Things like over the counter products (LOTS OF THEM), special foods for special diets and additional paper products like bed pads and more. He was already on a CPAP which needs monthly supplies and his CPAP is oxygen assisted so there is a rental fee on that as well. I don't want to go into all the specifics but lets just say that bladder cancer demands show up at the Pharmacy, (everyone who works at our local Rite-Aid turned Walgreens knows me by name I am there so often) the grocery store and the extra work and wear and tear on your washing machine.
Gas and Car Maintenance
Of course very little treatment can be done at our local hospital so that means traveling over 100 miles round trip often. In fact, when he was getting radiation that was 5 days a week. The car was taking $100.00 weekly of gas so do the math - that is $400.00 a month in gas alone. The car needed additional maintenance which it received. Even when the appointments are local, I miss half a day.
The EMOTIONAL COST
Cancer is insidious. It wreaks havoc with every emotion, every part of you life and every minute of every day. You try not to think about it, you try not to dwell on it but the constant doctors appointments and testing make that near impossible. All you can do is keep the best possible attitude and just decide to laugh loudly and often. We do a lot of that here because if we didn't we would lose our freaking minds.
Loss of income
Being my husbands caregiver has been a full time job. I wouldn't have it any other way but loss of income is a reality. Because I am with him for all doctors appointments and medical procedures means that I have to spend less time running my business which means less income. Then there are other costs nobody thinks about until they start adding up. Things like over the counter products (LOTS OF THEM), special foods for special diets and additional paper products like bed pads and more. He was already on a CPAP which needs monthly supplies and his CPAP is oxygen assisted so there is a rental fee on that as well. I don't want to go into all the specifics but lets just say that bladder cancer demands show up at the Pharmacy, (everyone who works at our local Rite-Aid turned Walgreens knows me by name I am there so often) the grocery store and the extra work and wear and tear on your washing machine.
Gas and Car Maintenance
Of course very little treatment can be done at our local hospital so that means traveling over 100 miles round trip often. In fact, when he was getting radiation that was 5 days a week. The car was taking $100.00 weekly of gas so do the math - that is $400.00 a month in gas alone. The car needed additional maintenance which it received. Even when the appointments are local, I miss half a day.
The EMOTIONAL COST
Cancer is insidious. It wreaks havoc with every emotion, every part of you life and every minute of every day. You try not to think about it, you try not to dwell on it but the constant doctors appointments and testing make that near impossible. All you can do is keep the best possible attitude and just decide to laugh loudly and often. We do a lot of that here because if we didn't we would lose our freaking minds.
ANOTHER BIOPSY
Tomorrow we head into Murfreeboro again only this time Greg has to have an outpatient procedure. He needs another biopsy to tell us if the cancer treatments and radiation worked. This is now his 2nd biopsy and 3rd Cystoscopy on his bladder. The 2nd procedure one was not only a cystoscopy but also a biopsy and what they call a TURBT which is a partial dissection of the bladder. I am hoping tomorrow will just be the biopsy because recovering from the TURBT was no fun. It meant coming home with a catheter that had to remain in for a whole week. It was just awful for my husband and when he suffers, I suffer.
So the bill I posted here is for the first 7 months of the year and tomorrow is another procedure. Will Bladder Cancer 2018 top $300,000.00 dollars? Could it?? It sure could....
Please pray for my husband, hell, pray for both of us that we get good news tomorrow. We could sure use some. Thanks for reading. WE truly appreciate your prayers and your love. Below is our song, "Johnny Rock and Rolls" which is a true story song. We met this little guy when Greg was managing a music store back in the year 2000 back in Buford, Georgia. I actually worked there as well. It was a fun little part time job. I often wonder how little Johnny is doing.
Tomorrow we head into Murfreeboro again only this time Greg has to have an outpatient procedure. He needs another biopsy to tell us if the cancer treatments and radiation worked. This is now his 2nd biopsy and 3rd Cystoscopy on his bladder. The 2nd procedure one was not only a cystoscopy but also a biopsy and what they call a TURBT which is a partial dissection of the bladder. I am hoping tomorrow will just be the biopsy because recovering from the TURBT was no fun. It meant coming home with a catheter that had to remain in for a whole week. It was just awful for my husband and when he suffers, I suffer.
So the bill I posted here is for the first 7 months of the year and tomorrow is another procedure. Will Bladder Cancer 2018 top $300,000.00 dollars? Could it?? It sure could....
Please pray for my husband, hell, pray for both of us that we get good news tomorrow. We could sure use some. Thanks for reading. WE truly appreciate your prayers and your love. Below is our song, "Johnny Rock and Rolls" which is a true story song. We met this little guy when Greg was managing a music store back in the year 2000 back in Buford, Georgia. I actually worked there as well. It was a fun little part time job. I often wonder how little Johnny is doing.
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